Alberta /ælˈbɜrtə/ is the most populous and fastest growing of Canada's three prairieprovinces. It is approximately the same size as France or Texas and had a population of 3.7 million in 2009.[3] It became a province on September 1, 1905, on the same day as Saskatchewan.[4] It is economically important primarily because of its vast oil reserves, and its large tertiary and quaternary economic sector.

The province extends 1,223 kilometres (760 mi) north to south and 660 kilometres (410 mi) east to west at its maximum width. Its highest point is 3,747 metres (12,293 ft) at the summit of Mount Columbia in the Rocky Mountains along the southwest border, while its lowest point is 152 metres (499 ft) on the Slave River in Wood Buffalo National Park in the northeast.[7]

Alberta's capital city, Edmonton, is located approximately in the geographic centre of the province, with most of western Canada's oil refinery capacity located nearby, in proximity to most of Canada's largest oil fields. Edmonton is the most northerly major city in Canada, and serves as a gateway and hub for resource development in northern Canada. Alberta's other major city, Calgary, is located approximately 280 kilometres (170 mi) south of Edmonton and 240 kilometres (150 mi) north of Montana, surrounded by extensive ranching country. Almost 75% of the province's population lives in the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor, in and between the two major cities.

Most of the northern half of the province is boreal forest, while the Rocky Mountains along the southwestern boundary are largely forested. The southern quarter of the province is prairie, ranging from shortgrass prairie in the southeastern corner to mixed grass prairie in an arc to the west and north of it. The central aspen parkland region extending in a broad arc between the prairies and the forests, from Calgary, north to Edmonton, and then east to Lloydminster, contains the most fertile soil in the province and most of the population. Much of the unforested part of Alberta is given over either to grain or to dairy farming, with mixed farming more common in the north and centre, while ranching and irrigated agriculture predominate in the south.[9]

Climate

Alberta has a dry continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. The province is open to cold arctic weather systems from the north, which often produce extremely cold conditions in winter. As the fronts between the air masses shift north and south across Alberta, temperature can change rapidly. Arctic air masses in the winter produce extreme minimum temperatures varying from −54 °C (−65 °F) in northern Alberta to −46 °C (−51 °F) in southern Alberta. In the summer, continental air masses produce maximum temperatures from 32 °C (90 °F) in the mountains to 40 °C (104 °F) in southern Alberta.[10]

Because Alberta extends for over 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) from north to south, its climate varies considerably. Average temperatures in January range from −8 °C (18 °F) in the south to −24 °C (−11 °F) in the north, and in July from 24 °C (75 °F) in the south to 16 °C (61 °F) in the north. The climate is also influenced by the presence of the Rocky Mountains to the southwest, which disrupt the flow of the prevailing westerly winds and cause them to drop most of their moisture on the western slopes of the mountain ranges before reaching the province, casting a rain shadow over much of Alberta. The northerly location and isolation from the weather systems of the Pacific Ocean cause Alberta to have a dry climate with little moderation from the ocean. Annual precipitation ranges from 300 millimetres (12 in) in the southeast to 450 millimetres (18 in) in the north, except in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where rainfall can reach 600 millimetres (24 in) annually.[7] In the summer, the average daytime temperatures range from around 21 °C (70 °F) in the Rocky Mountain valleys and far north to near 30 °C (86 °F) in the dry prairie of the southeast. The northern and western parts of the province experience higher rainfall and lower evaporation rates caused by cooler summer temperatures. The south and east-central portions are prone to drought-like conditions sometimes persisting for several years, although even these areas can receive heavy precipitation. Alberta is a sunny province. Annual bright sunshine totals range between 1900 and 2500 hours per year. Northern Alberta receives about 18 hours of daylight in the summer. The long summer days make summer the sunniest season of the year in Alberta.[10]

In southwestern Alberta, the winter cold is frequently interrupted by warm, dry chinook winds blowing from the mountains, which can propel temperatures upward from frigid conditions to well above the freezing point in a very short period. During one chinook recorded at Pincher Creek, temperatures soared from −18.9 °C (−2.0 °F) to 3.3 °C (38 °F) in one hour.[7] The region around Lethbridge has the most chinooks, averaging 30 to 35 chinook days per year, while Calgary has a white Christmas only 59% of the time as a result of these winds.

Northern Alberta is mostly covered by boreal forest and has fewer frost-free days than southern Alberta due to its subarctic climate. The agricultural area of southern Alberta has a semi-aridsteppe climate because the annual precipitation is less than the water that evaporates or is used by plants. The southeastern corner of Alberta, part of the Palliser Triangle, experiences greater summer heat and lower rainfall than the rest of the province, and as a result suffers frequent crop yield problems and occasional severe droughts. Western Alberta is protected by the mountains and enjoys the mild temperatures brought by winter chinook winds. Central and parts of northwestern Alberta in the Peace River region are largely aspen parkland, a biome transitional between prairie to the south and boreal forest to the north. After southern Ontario, Central Alberta is the most likely region in Canada to experience tornadoes. Thunderstorms, some of them severe, are frequent in the summer, especially in central and southern Alberta. The region surrounding the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is notable for having the highest frequency of hail in Canada, which is caused by orographic lifting from the nearby Rocky Mountains, enhancing the updraft/downdraft cycle necessary for the formation of hail.

History

The province of Alberta, as far north as about 53° north latitude, was a part of Rupert's Land from the time of the incorporation of the Hudson's Bay Company (1670). After the arrival in the North-West of the French around 1731 they settled the prairies of the west, establishing communities such as Lac La Biche and Bonnyville. Fort La Jonquière was established near what is now Calgary in 1752. The North West Company of Montreal occupied the northern part of Alberta territory before the Hudson's Bay Company arrived from Hudson Bay to take possession of it. The first explorer of the Athabasca region was Peter Pond, who, on behalf of the North West Company of Montreal, built Fort Athabasca on Lac La Biche in 1778. Roderick Mackenzie built Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca ten years later in 1788. His cousin, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, followed the North Saskatchewan River to its northernmost point near Edmonton, then setting northward on foot, trekked to the Athabasca River, which he followed to Lake Athabasca. It was there he discovered the mighty outflow river which bears his name—the Mackenzie River—which he followed to its outlet in the Arctic Ocean. Returning to Lake Athabasca, he followed the Peace River upstream, eventually reaching the Pacific Ocean, and so he became the first white man to cross the North American continent north of Mexico.[12]

The district of Alberta was created as part of the North-West Territories in 1882. As settlement increased, local representatives to the North-West Legislative Assembly were added. After a long campaign for autonomy, in 1905 the district of Alberta was enlarged and given provincial status, with the election of Alexander Cameron Rutherford as the first premier.

Demographics

Alberta has enjoyed a relatively high rate of growth in recent years, mainly because of its burgeoning economy. Between 2003 and 2004, the province had high birthrates (on par with some larger provinces such as British Columbia), relatively high immigration, and a high rate of interprovincial migration when compared to other provinces.[13] Approximately 81% of the population live in urban areas and only about 19% live in rural areas. The Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized area in the province and is one of the most densely populated areas of Canada.[14] Many of Alberta's cities and towns have also experienced very high rates of growth in recent history. Over the past century, Alberta's population rose from 73,022 in 1901 to 2,974,807 in 2001[15] and 3,290,350 according to the 2006 census.[16]

Languages

Albertans have many different mother tongues. English is by far the most common, while French is rare.[17]

The 2006 census found that English, with 2,576,670 native speakers, was the mother tongue of 79.99% of Albertans. The next most common mother tongues were Chinese languages with 97,275 native-speakers (3.02%); followed by German with 84,505 native-speakers (2.62%); and French with 61,225 (1.90%); then Punjabi 36,320 (1.13%); Tagalog 29,740 (0.92%); Ukrainian 29,455 (0.91%); Spanish 29,125 (0.90%); and Polish 21,990 (0.68%); Arabic 20,495 (0.64%); Dutch 19,980 (0.62%); and Vietnamese 19,350 (0.60%). The most common aboriginal language is Cree 17,215 (0.53%). Other common mother tongues include Italian with 13,095 speakers (0.41%); Urdu with 11,275 (0.35%); and Korean with 10,845 (0.33%); then Hindi 8,985 (0.28%); Persian 7,700 (0.24%); Portuguese 7,205 (0.22%); and Hungarian 6,770 (0.21%).(Figures shown are for the number of single language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses.)[18]

Ethnicity

Alberta's population came from many countries, most in Northern and Central Europe.[19]

Alberta has considerable ethnic diversity. In line with the rest of Canada, many immigrants originated from Scotland, Ireland and Wales, but large numbers also came from other parts of Europe, notably Germans, French, Ukrainians and Scandinavians. According to Statistics Canada, Alberta is home to the second highest proportion (two percent) of Francophones in western Canada (after Manitoba). Many of Alberta's French-speaking residents live in the central and northwestern regions of the province. As reported in the 2001 census, the Chinese represented nearly four percent of Alberta's population, and East Indians represented more than two percent. Both Edmonton and Calgary have historic Chinatowns, and Calgary has Canada's third largest Chinese community. The Chinese presence began with workers employed in the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s. Aboriginal Albertans make up approximately three percent of the population.

Amongst those of British origins, the Scots have had a particularly strong influence on place-names, with the names of many cities and towns including Calgary, Airdrie, Canmore, and Banff having Scottish origins.

Religion

Alberta has a large number of different religions, of which Catholic is the most common.

As of the Canada 2001 Census the largest religious group was Roman Catholic, representing 25.7% of the population. Alberta had the second highest percentage of non-religious residents in Canada (after British Columbia) at 23.1% of the population. Of the remainder, 13.5% of the population identified themselves as belonging to the United Church of Canada, while 5.9% were Anglican. Lutherans made up 4.8% of the population while Baptists comprised 2.5%. The remainder had a wide variety of different religious affiliations, although no individual group constituted more than 2% of the population.[21]

Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus live in Alberta. Muslims constituted 1.7% of the population, Sikhs 0.8% and Hindus 0.5%. Many of these are recent immigrants, but others have roots that go back to the first settlers of the prairies.[21] Canada's oldest mosque the Al-Rashid Mosque is located in Edmonton.[22]

Jews constituted 0.4% of Alberta's population. Most of Alberta's 13,000 Jews live in Calgary (7,500) and Edmonton (5,000).[23]

Aboriginal Identity Peoples make up 5.8% of the population with half that consisting North American Indians and the other half consisting of Metis. There are also small number of Inuit people in Alberta.[26] The number of Aboriginal Identity Peoples have been increasing at a rate greater than the population of Alberta.[26]

Economy

Alberta's economy is one of the strongest in Canada, supported by the burgeoning petroleum industry and to a lesser extent, agriculture and technology. The per capita GDP in 2007 was by far the highest of any province in Canada at C$74,825. This was 61% higher than the national average of C$46,441 and more than twice that of some of the Atlantic provinces. In 2006 the deviation from the national average was the largest for any province in Canadian history.[27] According to the 2006 census,[28] the median annual family income after taxes was $70,986 in Alberta (compared to $60,270 in Canada as a whole).

The Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized region in the province and one of the densest in Canada. The region covers a distance of roughly 400 kilometres north to south. In 2001, the population of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor was 2.15 million (72% of Alberta's population).[29] It is also one of the fastest growing regions in the country. A 2003 study by TD Bank Financial Group found the corridor to be the only Canadian urban centre to amass a U.S. level of wealth while maintaining a Canadian style quality of life, offering universal health care benefits. The study found that GDP per capita in the corridor was 10% above average U.S. metropolitan areas and 40% above other Canadian cities at that time.

According to the Fraser Institute, Alberta also has very high levels of economic freedom. It is by far the most free economy in Canada,[30] and is rated as the 2nd most free economy of U.S. states and Canadian provinces.[31]

The Athabasca Oil Sands (sometimes known as the Athabasca Tar Sands) have estimated unconventional oil reserves approximately equal to the conventional oil reserves of the rest of the world, estimated to be 1.6 trillion barrels (254 km³). With the development of new extraction methods such as steam assisted gravity drainage, which was developed in Alberta, bitumen and synthetic crude oil can be produced at costs close to those of conventional crude. Many companies employ both conventional strip mining and non-conventional in situ methods to extract the bitumen from the oil sands. With current technology and at current prices, about 315 billion barrels (50 km³) of bitumen are recoverable. Fort McMurray, one of Canada's fastest growing cities, has grown enormously in recent years because of the large corporations which have taken on the task of oil production. As of late 2006 there were over $100 billion in oil sands projects under construction or in the planning stages in northeastern Alberta.[33]

Another factor determining the viability of oil extraction from the Tar Sands is the price of oil. The oil price increases since 2003 have made it more than profitable to extract this oil, which in the past would give little profit or even a loss.

With concerted effort and support from the provincial government, several high-tech industries have found their birth in Alberta, notably patents related to interactive liquid crystal display systems.[34] With a growing economy, Alberta has several financial institutions dealing with civil and private funds.

Agriculture and forestry

Agriculture has a significant position in the province's economy. The province has over three million head of cattle,[35] and Alberta beef has a healthy worldwide market. Nearly one half of all Canadian beef is produced in Alberta. Alberta is one of the prime producers of plains buffalo (bison) for the consumer market. Sheep for wool and mutton are also raised.

Wheat and canola are primary farm crops, with Alberta leading the provinces in spring wheat production; other grains are also prominent. Much of the farming is dryland farming, often with fallow seasons interspersed with cultivation. Continuous cropping (in which there is no fallow season) is gradually becoming a more common mode of production because of increased profits and a reduction of soil erosion. Across the province, the once common grain elevator is slowly being lost as rail lines are decreasing; farmers typically truck the grain to central points.

Alberta is the leading beekeeping province of Canada, with some beekeepers wintering hives indoors in specially designed barns in southern Alberta, then migrating north during the summer into the Peace River valley where the season is short but the working days are long for honeybees to produce honey from clover and fireweed. Hybrid canola also requires beepollination, and some beekeepers service this need.

According to Alberta Economic Development, Calgary and Edmonton both host over four million visitors annually. Banff, Jasper and the Rocky Mountains are visited by about three million people per year.[36] Alberta tourism relies heavily on Southern Ontario tourists, as well as tourists from other parts of Canada, the United States, and many international countries.

About 1.2 million people visit the of Calgary Stampede,[37] a celebration of Canada's own Wild West and the cattle ranching industry. About 800,000 people enjoy Edmonton's Capital Ex (formerly Klondike Days).[38] Edmonton was the gateway to the only all-Canadian route to the Yukongold fields, and the only route which did not require gold-seekers to travel the exhausting and dangerous Chilkoot Pass.

Another tourist destination that draws more than 650,000 visitors each year is the Drumheller Valley, located northeast of Calgary. Drumheller, "Dinosaur Capital of The World", offers the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Drumheller also had a rich mining history being one of Western Canada's largest coal producers during the war years. The Canadian Badlands has much to offer in the way of attractions, cultural events, celebrations, accommodations and service.

Located in east-central Alberta is Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions, a popular tourist attraction operated out of Stettler. It boasts one of the few operable steam trains in the world, offering trips through the rolling prairie scenery. Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions caters to tens of thousands of visitors every year.

Taxation

The province's revenue comes mainly from royalties on non-renewable natural resources (30.4%), personal income taxes (22.3%), corporate and other taxes (19.6%), and grants from the federal government primarily for infrastructure projects (9.8%).[39] Albertans are the lowest-taxed people in Canada, and Alberta is the only province in Canada without a provincial sales tax (though residents are still subject to the federal sales tax, the Goods and Services Tax of 5%.) It is also the only Canadian province to have a single rate of taxation for personal income taxes which is 10% of taxable income.[40] The Alberta tax system maintains a progressive flavour by allowing residents to earn $16,161 before becoming subject to provincial taxation in addition to a variety of tax deductions for persons with disabilities, students, and the aged.[41] Alberta's municipalities and school jurisdictions have their own governments which (usually) work in co-operation with the provincial government.

Alberta has two main east-west corridors. The southern corridor, part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, enters the province near Medicine Hat, runs westward through Calgary, and leaves Alberta through Banff National Park. The northern corridor, also part of the Trans-Canada network and known as the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16), runs west from Lloydminster in eastern Alberta, through Edmonton and Jasper National Park into British Columbia. One of the most scenic drives is along the Icefields Parkway, which runs for 228 km (142 mi) between Jasper and Lake Louise, with mountain ranges and glaciers on either side of its entire length.

Urban stretches of Alberta's major highways and freeways are often called trails. For example, Highway 2, the main north-south highway in the province, is called Deerfoot Trail as it passes through Calgary but becomes Calgary Trail as it enters Edmonton and then turns into Saint Albert Trail as it leaves Edmonton for the city of St. Albert. Calgary, in particular, has a tradition of calling its largest urban expresswaystrails and naming many of them after prominent First Nations individuals and tribes, such as Crowchild Trail, Deerfoot Trail, and Stoney Trail.

Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, and Lethbridge have substantial public transit systems. In addition to buses, Calgary and Edmonton operate light rail transit (LRT) systems. Edmonton LRT, which is underground in the downtown core and on the surface outside of it, was the first of the modern generation of light rail systems to be built in North America, while the Calgary C-Train, although operating mostly on the surface, has almost 4 times more track than the Edmonton LRT and the highest ridership of any LRT system in North America.

Locally municipal governments and school boards are elected and operate separately. Their boundaries do not necessarily coincide. Municipalities where the same body act as both local government and school board are formally referred to as "counties" in Alberta.

As Canada's head of state, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state for the Government of Alberta. Her duties in Alberta are carried out by Lieutenant Governor Norman Kwong. Although the lieutenant governor is technically the most powerful person in Alberta, he is in reality a figurehead whose actions are restricted by custom and constitutional convention. The government is therefore headed by the premier. The current premier is Ed Stelmach who was elected as leader of the governing Progressive Conservatives on December 2, 2006. Stelmach was sworn in as the 13th Premier of Alberta on December 15, 2006.

The Premier is a Member of the Legislative Assembly, and he draws all the members of his Cabinet from among the members of the Legislative Assembly.

The City of Edmonton is the seat of the provincial government—the capital of Alberta.

Alberta's elections tend to yield results which are much more conservative than those of other Canadian provinces. Alberta has traditionally had three political parties, the Progressive Conservatives ("Conservatives" or "Tories"), the Liberals, and the social democratic New Democrats. A fourth party, the strongly conservative Social Credit Party, was a power in Alberta for many decades, but fell from the political map after the Progressive Conservatives came to power in 1971. Since that time, no other political party has governed Alberta. In fact, only four parties have governed Alberta: the Liberals, from 1905 to 1921; the United Farmers of Alberta, from 1921 to 1935; the Social Credit Party, from 1935 to 1971, and the currently governing Progressive Conservative Party, from 1971 to the present.

Alberta has had occasional surges in separatist sentiment. Even during the 1980s, when these feelings were at their strongest, there has never been enough interest in secession to initiate any major movements or referendums. There are several groups wishing to promote the independence of Alberta in some form currently active in the province.

Alberta's health care budget is currently $13.2 billion during the 2008-2009 fiscal year (approximately 36% of all government spending), making it the best funded health care system per-capita in Canada. Every hour more than $1.5 million is spent on health care in the province.[45]

Education

As with any Canadian province, the Alberta Legislature has (almost) exclusive authority to make laws respecting education. Since 1905 the Legislature has used this capacity to continue the model of locally elected public and separate school boards which originated prior to 1905, as well as to create and/or regulate universities, colleges, technical institutions and other educational forms and institutions (public charter schools, private schools, home schooling).

Elementary schools

There are forty-two public school jurisdictions in Alberta, and seventeen operating separate school jurisdictions. Sixteen of the operating separate school jurisdictions have a Catholic electorate, and one (St. Albert) has a Protestant electorate. In addition, one Protestant separate school district, Glen Avon, survives as a ward of the St. Paul Education Region. The City of Lloydminster straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border, and both the public and separate school systems in that city are counted in the above numbers: both of them operate according to Saskatchewan law.

For many years the provincial government has funded the greater part of the cost of providing K–12 education. Prior to 1994 public and separate school boards in Alberta had the legislative authority to levy a local tax on property, as supplementary support for local education. In 1994 the government of the province eliminated this right for public school boards, but not for separate school boards. Since 1994 there has continued to be a tax on property in support of K–12 education; the difference is that the mill rate is now set by the provincial government, the money is collected by the local municipal authority and remitted to the provincial government. The relevant legislation requires that all the money raised by this property tax must go to the support of K–12 education provided by school boards. The provincial government pools the property tax funds from across the province and distributes them, according to a formula, to public and separate school jurisdictions and Francophone authorities.

Public and separate school boards, charter schools, and private schools all follow the Program of Studies and the curriculum approved by the provincial department of education (Alberta Education). Home schoolers may choose to follow the Program of Studies or develop their own Program of Studies. Public and separate schools, charter schools, and approved private schools all employ teachers who are certificated by Alberta Education, they administer Provincial Achievement Tests and Diploma Examinations set by Alberta Education, and they may grant high school graduation certificates endorsed by Alberta Education.

Universities

Alberta's oldest and largest university is Edmonton's University of Alberta established in 1908. The University of Calgary, once affiliated with the University of Alberta, gained its autonomy in 1966 and is now the second largest university in Alberta. There is also Athabasca University, which focuses on distance learning, and the University of Lethbridge, both of which are located in their title cities. In early September, 2009, Mount Royal University became Calgary's second public university, and in late September, 2009, a similar move made Grant MacEwan University Edmonton's second public university. There are 15 colleges that receive direct public funding, along with two technical institutes, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.[48] There is also a large and active private sector of post-secondary institutions, mostly Christian Universities, bringing the total number of universities to twelve, plus a DeVry University location in Calgary. Students may also receive government loans and grants while attending selected private institutions. There has been some controversy in recent years over the rising cost of post-secondary education for students (as opposed to taxpayers). In 2005, Premier Ralph Klein made a promise that he would freeze tuition and look into ways of reducing schooling costs.[49] So far, no plan has been released by the government of Alberta.

Culture

Summer brings many festivals to the province of Alberta, especially in Edmonton. The Edmonton Fringe Festival is the world's second largest after Edinburgh's. The Folk music festivals in both Calgary and Edmonton are two of Canada's largest and both cities host a number of annual multicultural events. With a large number of summer and winter events, Edmonton prides itself as being the "Festival City". The city's "heritage days" festival sees the participation of over 70 ethnic groups. Edmonton's Churchill Square is home to a large number of the festivals, including the large Taste of Edmonton & The Works Art & Design Festival throughout the summer months.

Calgary is also home to Carifest, the second largest Caribbean festival in the nation (after Caribana in Toronto). Edmonton has Cariwest, a smaller Caribbean Parade in the downtown streets. Both Edmonton and Calgary are also known for decent Film festivals. The city of Calgary is also famous for its Calgary Stampede, dubbed "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth." The Stampede is Canada's biggest rodeo festival and features various races and competitions, such as calf roping and bull riding. In line with the western tradition of rodeo are the cultural artisans that reside and create unique Alberta western heritage crafts. The Banff Centre also hosts a range of festivals and other events including the internationally known Mountain Film Festival. These cultural events in Alberta highlight the province's cultural diversity and love of entertainment. Most of the major cities have several performing theatre companies who entertain in venues as diverse as Edmonton's Arts Barns and the Francis Winspear Centre for Music. Both Calgary and Edmonton are home to Canadian Football League and National Hockey League teams. Soccer, rugby union and lacrosse are also played professionally in Alberta.

Contents

By
Canadians

Stephen
Harper

It is imperative to take the initiative, to build firewalls
around Alberta, to limit the extent to which an aggressive and
hostile federal government can encroach upon legitimate provincial
jurisdiction.

From Wikitravel

Contents

Alberta[1] is the second
westernmost of the 10 provinces in Canada. (only British Columbia is farther west) It
includes parts of the Canadian Rockies and is known
for its oil and natural gas fields and cattle farming.

Alberta has a lot to offer visitors. It is a surprisingly
diverse province in many ways, from the beauty of the Rockies to
the serene flatness of prairie to the wilderness of the northern
forests. The two largest cities, Calgary and Edmonton offer the amenties that most cities
in North America have, and also have some unique attractions of
their own.

Alberta regions

Alberta covers 8 regions.

Alberta Badlands - in eastern
Alberta and features majestic beauty. Experience very
undescribeable land formations from over thousands of years or see
a lot of fossils from dinosaurs.

Alberta Rockies - one of
Canada's most beautiful places. It has the amazing Rocky Mountains
sprinkled with the vibrant national parks of Jasper and Banff which
are home to much skiing, hiking, and other outdoor activities, not
to mention shopping.

Calgary Region - the
metropolitan region of Calgary. It is the densest area in the
province and is growing fast. The area is home to a lot of
attractions.

Central Alberta - this part
has a lot of nature and due to the foothills, a lot of ranches. It
also has a lot of cabins and rolling hills. There is a lot of
agriculture here.

Eastern Alberta - mostly
forestry and small farms. It is mostly plains and there are some
lakes and rivers for fishing and hunting. It also has a very large
oil industry.

Edmonton Capital
Region - the metro area of Edmonton. It is the second
highest population in Alberta and is home to a lot of really cool
stuff to do from skiing to discovering history. Edmonton is the
capital of Alberta.

Peace River Valley -
breathtaking nature takes this region as its beauty. It has a ton
of forestry and small towns.

Southern Alberta - this area
is quite interesting. It has windfarms, rolling hills, lush
Waterton Lakes National Park, Lethbridge, as well as beautiful
farms.

Calgary is the largest city in Alberta.

Edmonton is the second largest city and is the mighty
capital.

Below are 9 cities frequently considered to have the most
interest for the visitor.

Edmonton - the capital
city of Alberta and the second largest urban population (752,000
city; 1,102,000 metro region). It is home to a vibrant cultural
community, the largest urban parkland system in North America,
North America's largest mall, Canada's only Indy race, and is
dubbed Canada's Festival City. Aside from that, there is so much
more stuff like a pretty good science centre and a awesome
conservatory, just explore and also read our guide.

Calgary - Alberta's
largest city (1,040,000 city; 1,139,000 metro region). It is home
to a beautiful river, nice museum, cool towers, bustling economy,
world class zoo, cool shopping, and is most famous for the 88
Olympics.

Banff - vacation destination
in the Rockies offering a variety of outdoor activities

Drumheller - site
of the Royal Tyrell Museum, the largest paleontology museum in
Canada

Fort
McMurray - fast growing community deep in northern Alberta,
most famous as the center of the oil sands industry

Jasper - Banff's northerly
neighbour - less visited than Banff but no less stunning

Lethbridge - is a
city in southern Alberta with a population of about 78,700 and most
famous for its canyons

Medicine Hat -
is in southern Alberta with a population nearing 57,000 and is
interesting

Red Deer - is a city
in between Edmonton and Calgary at about 82,800 people (2006) and
is a major service center

Banff National Park - probably the
most famous national park, and home to the town of Banff which
holds unique shopping and entertainment. Outside that, there's Lake
Louise and world class skiing, hiking, and camping

Understand

Alberta was formed as a province in 1905. Its capital is Edmonton, located roughly in
the middle of the province, while most oil business headquarters
are located to the south in Calgary. Most of the population of Alberta
lives along the "Highway 2 Corridor" between Edmonton and Calgary, although Lethbridge to the south, Grande Prairie to
the northwest, and Fort McMurray to the northeast are also
major centres.

The original inhabitants were the First Nations People, but
significant immigration occurred when the Canadian Pacific Railway
was built and the Government offered incentives for settlers to
come to Alberta. Since then the province has enjoyed steady
immigration and population growth, though it is notable that there
are few groups who immigrated in vast numbers such as Chinese to
Vancouver did.

This is the richest province in Canada, its wealth is derived
mainly from Crude Oil production, though historically farming and
cattle raising were important. Ranching maintains a high place in
the economy and especially in the culture, especially in Southern
Alberta. Seventy percent of the Canadian Herd (of cattle) is
located in Alberta. In 2003 the price of oil rose beyond $55 a
barrel making the vast reserves of oilsands in the Northern part of
the province economically viable. Since then Alberta has enjoyed
rapid growth, but also experienced significant problems along with
that growth.

It is also noteworthy that Alberta is widely considered to be
the most conservative area of Canada, however this is a complicated
issue. Regional politics affected Alberta significantly, including
the much hated National Energy Program in the 1980s. So the region
votes Conservative both as an expression of regional preference as
much as politic preference. This won't affect the average
traveller, and may benefit as Alberta's taxes are lower than that
of the rest of Canada (there is no PST).

Talk

English is the main language spoken by most people in Alberta.
Significant minority languages include Ukrainian, German, Chinese,
Arabic, Russian and Hindi.

French is uncommon but available at all Federal Governmental
institutions. There is a French-language university in Edmonton - the Faculté
Saint-Jean, now a part of the University of Alberta, which offers
undergraduate degrees in several disciplines with instruction
completely in French.

First Nations languages such as Cree, Déné, Blackfoot, etc. are
spoken to varying degrees among those communities as both mother
tongue and as a second language.

Get in

By Air

Both Calgary and Edmonton have international
airports. Calgary's is the third largest in Canada (by passenger
volume). It serves as the base of low-priced airline Westjet, which
provides service to North American (mainly Canadian), Mexican and
Caribbean destinations. Edmonton's is the fastest growing in
Canada, with multiple expansions in place. International Service is
provided by multiple carriers at both locations, including multiple
direct flights to London and
Frankfurt each day and
selected flights to New
Delhi, India and Hong Kong, other
destinations are usually connecting through Vancouver or Toronto.
Both airports act as collection points, Calgary for the prairie provinces, and Edmonton for regions in the
Canadian North like Grande Prairie and Yellowknife.

Get around

By Car

Alberta is quite large, as are most Canadian provinces. A rough
comparison is that the island of Great Britain can fit into Alberta
more than six times over. Also noteworthy is that most Albertan
cities, and especially Calgary have historically grown horizontally
rather than vertically and are thus really big. Car travel is
essential unless you plan on staying within Edmonton or Calgary
(where you can walk, bus, transit). However most towns and cities
in rural Alberta are more than accesible by Greyhound Bus.

Driving regulations are the same as in most of Canada. Turning
right (far right lane into far right lane) on a red light is
allowed. It goes without saying that drunk driving is taken very
seriously, but is disproportionally seen in rural areas, take care
when driving there at night. Wildlife are another major concern.
When highway driving keep to a reasonable speed and look for sudden
movements on the side. The most common animal hit is the deer,
which is usually not fatal for the car. But running into an elk or
moose could possibly be so. Elk and moose are very dark coloured so
keep a close eye out for them. If you see animals on the side of
the road it is common to want to slow down. Do so in a safe manner
and don't needlessly impede traffic. Don't get out of your car to
see the animals.

The AMA (Alberta Motor Association) is a good source of specific
information and offers the most widely used driving courses. Both
Calgary and Edmonton offer traffic radio stations - government
funded radio that only reports accidents, construction and weather.
You signs for the frequency in those cities.

Do not heed any warning about Albertan drivers being the most
aggressive drivers in Canada - a common myth. They are not more so
than Toronto and certainly are nothing compared with Southern
Europe. High speeds and lane changes without signaling are
generally the worst it gets.

By Bus

Greyhound Canada offers
service between almost all centres, large and small. Be aware that
Greyhound does the so-called "milk runs" stopping at almost every
location, usually to drop off or pickup passengers and cargo. There
are other bus lines offering service between major centres, such as
Red Arrow between
Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Jasper and Banff.

In Edmonton,
West Edmonton Mall is one of the province's larger
attractions. With over 800 retail shops and the world's largest
indoor entertainment centre, it's entertaining even for the
non-shoppers. Also Edmonton is dubbed, "Canada's Festival
City" to the exceedingly high ammount of festivals of
every kind. The city also boasts the North American largest urban
parkland system, of which is very beautiful and completes the
skyline, that's the North Saskatchewan River
Valley. It also has other shopping, other great
attractions and has Canada's only Indy.

Calgary offers the
Stampede, the wild west-themed festival held every
July complete with rodeos and fairs. And one should check out the
Calgary Zoo and get a view from the top of the
Calgary Tower.

Do

The ski resorts of Marmot Basin in Jasper National Park, Sunshine Village, Lake
Louise and Norquay, all in Banff
National Park dish up almost every kind of terrain for the hardcore
skier, yet allow novice skiers to have fun through green runs and
long cruisng runs. If the crowds bother you, there are a number of
other ski areas in the province.

Great hiking can be had in the Rockies, and there are a few
lakes that allow one to do boating, jetskiing or most other
watersports despite Alberta's landlocked nature.

There are many excellent golf courses available to the public
across the provinces. Areas of particular interest include the
mountain parks where Banff Springs, Jasper Park Lodge, Kananaskis
Country, Stewart Creek, and Silver Tip are recognized as some of
Canada's best courses. Central Alberta also offers several
excellent courses, including Wolf Creek and Alberta Springs. In the
Edmonton area, popular courses include the Northern Bear, Cougar
Creek, The Ranch, and Goose Hummock. In Drumheller, the back nine
of the Dinosaur Point Golf Course features several very dramatic
and spectacular holes.

Dinosaur Provincial Park two hours southeast of Calgary (the
closest notable city being Brooks)can be rather interesting. There
is camping available and general admission is free, however to see
many of the restricted areas one must pay for a guide. There are
many trails and hoodoos to climb, the scenery is fantastic and it
is generally just a very fun place to be. There are a few safety
precautions to take into consideration if you do choose to visit
however. A large abundance of rattlesnakes, scorpians, and black
widow spiders call this park home so exercise caution if you ever
run into them. Also it gets very hot during the summer so you
should bring some sunscreen and a water bottle (if you forget
there's a concession as well). Cacti can also be a bit of a
nuisance if you decide to climb the hoodoos so just keep your eyes
out. You should note that a very large percentage of the worlds
dinosaur bones have been found here, and it's very common to find
small bone fragments on the ground as you explore (however it is
strictly against the rules to take any)! However most of the
greatest discoveries made here are displayed at the Royal Tyrell
Museum located in Drumheller.

Eat

There is a surprising array of restaurants to choose from,
especially in the major cities. Tastes range from simple burger
joints to haute cuisine in the finest restaurants. Alberta is world
renowned for its beef and the steak can be considered the regional
dish for Alberta.

Drink

The drinking age is 18 - younger than most other provinces in
Canada. Alcohol is available from the many private liquor stores
and beer/wine stores throughout the province. Unlike other
provinces, liquor retail is privatized; however, unlike most
American states, you cannot buy alcohol directly in grocery stores
although most grocery stores and many convenience stores have
attached but separate liquor stores.

Stay safe

The following areas of Alberta are considered higher risk areas
with respect to crime.

Calgary - walking during
night hours should be avoided in the East Village, Victoria Park,
and the Bow River Pathway between Eau Claire and the zoo. These
areas are prone to drugs and prostitution. There are panhandlers in
on various downtown streets.

Edmonton - an area
during northeast of downtown is a prostitution stroll. There is
also a stretch of Whyte Avenue that can be a problem after 7pm,
given its high bar concentration.

Otherwise, Alberta as a whole is a relatively safe area. However
common sense should be applied. Do not leave valuables visible in
vehicles and lock all vehicle doors.

Growth in urban centers in Alberta has led to increased traffic.
Allow plenty of time to reach a destination, especially during rush
hour or during adverse weather.

Alberta's weather is very changeable and volatile, especially in
the mountains and the foothills and also during the spring season.
Driving conditions can deteriorate quickly. Before going out,
always check the local forecast. Road conditions are available
through the Alberta Motor Association.

Strong chinook winds in the foothills, especially south of
Calgary, can blow a vehicle off the road. Highways 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
22 and 23 south of Calgary are the most vulnerable to these
conditions, with Highway 22 usually being the worst. Extra caution
is advised, particularly for higher-height vehicles such as trucks
and SUVs.

Alberta has had cases of the West Nile Virus. In the spring and
summer, it is wise to be protected using Deet-based repellants.

The area within and around the mountain parks is bear country.
Hikers, hunters and campers in these areas should follow all bear
safety tips. Campsites should be kept clean, all dishes
properly washed, and all tables wiped clean after a meal. Never
leave any food or garbage loose or unattended. Hikers should travel
as a group, make noise regularly and stay on established trails.
Pets should be kept out of bear country.

Taxis can be in short supply in Calgary and Edmonton at times,
especially during holidays, poor weather, and on weekends. It is
advisable to phone ahead in the daytime for a reservation if you
realize you may need a taxi. In most cases, taxis are easily
available at the airports.

Get out

Though probably the most beautiful province in western Canada,
neighboring provinces have much to offer. British
Columbia has much great scenery as well, but also world-class
cities like Vancouver
and Victoria

To the east is Saskatchewan, which has a large amount of
grassland but is also home to over 100,000 lakes and offers some of
the most beautiful skyline. With the more action packed Regina and Saskatoon

This is a usable article. It gives a good
overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as
links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well
developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please
plunge forward and help it grow!

Alberta is more like a man's name than any
other name that comes from a men's, more than Georgianna which is
just like a magnolia blossom or Henrietta which most people change
to Etta or Geraldine which nobody ever thinks of coming from a
man's Irish name like Gerald. Alberta also sounds
sort of Canadian, and everything from Canada is masculine the way
everything from Mexico is feminine, even the men. In saying it
carelessly or reading it you hardly notice the a in the
end.